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French-Mali sweep kills Islamic radical commander

December 11, 2014

French defense officials say a militant Islamic commander who was the subject of a multimillion-dollar bounty issued by the United States has been killed in a military sweep operation in northeastern Mali. The officials said Thursday that Ahmed el Tilemsi, a leader of the Mourabitoune militant group, was killed in an evening operation the previous night conducted by French and Malian forces near the town of Gao. The French Defense Ministry’s Web site says about 10 militants in total were “neutralized” during the sweep – meaning they were killed or taken prisoner. It said the operation dealt “a heavy blow” to Mourabitoune and other terrorists in Africa’s Sahel-Sahara region. The US State Department in 2012 placed a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to el Tilemsi’s location.